| I am Archie Mendez, a sophomore at Fernley High School who also wrestles for Nevada Elite. I have dedicated myself to wrestling for the discipline, hard work, and resilience it is teaching me—qualities that are essential for success both on and off the mat. |
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| As a freshman, I entered the season weighing only 94 pounds. Despite giving up 12 pounds in my weight class, I found a lot of success during the season. I finished the season with 35 wins, taking 4th at Regionals and 3A state runner-up. |
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| Over the summer, I continued training and had the opportunity to compete at the U.S. Marine Corps Junior and 16U Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota. I went 2-2 in both Freestyle and Greco. While this wasn’t the outcome I had hoped for, I was grateful for the opportunity to compete at such a high-level tournament. I was able to watch and learn a great deal while there, and I also traveled to North Carolina to compete at Super 32. |
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| My goals this season are to win a regional and state title for my school, and to do my part to help Fernley win a team regional and state title. I also aim to earn a spot and represent Team Nevada at Fargo and Super 32. Finally, I want to keep working hard to better myself and my teammates around me. |
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| I am grateful for my coaches and teammates who have shaped, motivated, and inspired me on this wrestling journey. Thank you to my Fernley High School coaches—Jake McCullar, Thomas and Jackson Chapin, and Anfernee Sloan—and my Nevada Elite coaches—Ed Sullivan, Jeromy Mumm, Israel Casarez, Erik Salcido, and Charlie Staggs—for all of their support |
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Here is the link to AJ’s First Athlete of the Month for NVSportsLocal
AJ Mendez Bio Part 1 |
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